Voice and Accountability: Tools and Examples from/for Education

Faisal BariInstitute of Development and Economic

Alternatives (IDEAS) Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)

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DEFINITIONS

• “Transparency is a characteristic of governments, companies, organizations and individuals of being open in the clear disclosure of information rules, plans, processes and actions” (Transparency International 2009).

• “Accountability refers to the process of holding actors responsible for their actions. It is the concept that individuals, agencies and organizations (public, private and civil society) are held responsible for executing their powers according to a certain standard” (Tisne 2010).

• Ideally, transparency produces accountability.

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SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

• Bottom-up, citizens led initiatives. • “Social accountability can be defined as an

approach towards building accountability that relies on civic engagement, i.e. in which it is ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations who participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability” (Malena et al 2004)

• Demand driven, can be supported by the state.

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BROADER IMPACTS OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY INITIATIVES

• Social accountability improves the quality of governance.

• Social accountability contributes to increased development effectiveness.

• Social accountability can lead to empowerment.

• Transparency as a goal in and of itself, e.g. RTI. Advocacy and Innovation Funds for Education in Pakistan

RIGHT TO INFORMATION • Almost a prerequisite for any social accountability….• Current situation The present RTI legislation is

inadequate and does not provide a proper, time bound mechanism for providing information. Inadequate apellate procedures to correct the errors on appeal. Therefore, RTI mechanisms not being used by journalists, lawyers and civil society activists.

• But law has recently been passed by KP. And Punjab is also working on the issue

• How do we make for effective implementation of the law• Applications under the law• Setting of precedents• Strategic litigation

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Tools: Public Hearings

• Public hearing…people plus providers…• Information sharing• Transparency and accountability• Improvements in quality• Motivates citizens• Participation in decision making

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Tools: Community Scorecards

• Observe service provision…from effectiveness perspective

• Keep records of deviations…with the aim to effect improvements

• Develop consensus around improvements• Work plans based the consensus…and cycle

continues

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Citizen Charters

• Specifying Citizen rights. Getting citizens aware of their rights

• Specifying/clarifying citizens expectations and ability of state to providing services

• Developing capacity of service providers to deliver

• Major challenges in this approach…but when it succeeds…it succeeds well

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BUDGET TRANSPARENCY• Open budget systems can enhance the credibility of policy

choices, increase the effectiveness of policy interventions, limit corrupt and wasteful spending.

• Current situation in Pakistan budgets lack transparency and equity and there is no public debate regarding this issue.

• Theory of change Through the active involvement of CS in monitoring and analysing public budgets and generating a public debate around budget allocations, more open, participatory and accountable public financing that is responsive to the needs to citizens can be achieved.

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MEDIA & TRANSPARENCY

• Supporting the use of new technologies/media to promote transparency and accountability.

• Facilitating citizens to use technology in order to disseminate information to push for policy and systemic changes.

• Initiatives such as I Paid a Bribe, Ushahidi, Global Voices.

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Citizen Report Card

• People’s perceptions about quality of a particular service

• Identify issue, raise awareness, prepare draft questionnaire to collect data, conduct survey, analyze quality and citizen satisfaction, report findings, and then present report in public meeting

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Social Audit

• Social Audits to improve accountability of departments that implement social development schemes

• How has government spent the money, how can it be made more effective

• (Almost the same steps as citizen report cards)

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Other tools

• Participatory planning• Duty roster (chart in office outlining duties,

times)• Complaint/suggestion box…with follow up• Policy analysis

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